Ponyboy Curtis
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Ponyboy Michael Curtis is the main character and narrator of S. E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders. In the film adaptation of this book, Ponyboy is played by C. Thomas Howell. In The Outsider TV Series he was played by Jay Ferguson.
Ponyboy Michael Curtis is 14 years old, the youngest of the "greasers" gang, Born July 22 1952. The book explains that he has an athletic build, is good at fights, is a bookworm, smokes heavily and is somewhat absent-minded. Orphaned, he has two older brothers, Darrel "Darry" Shaynne Curtis, Jr. and "Sodapop" Patrick Curtis. He resents Darry for seeming "too bossy" since their parents died and he had to take on the responsibility of raising his two younger brothers. His best friend is Johnny Cade, a boy reminiscent of "a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers."
He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and participates in the local social-club rivalries. He runs away with Johnny after a fight with Darry and is involved in the death of a "soc", which is later ruled to have been self-defense on the part of Johnny. He is eventually re-united with his brothers and participates in the rumble alongside other members of the gang. Though a good fighter, he fights poorly in the rumble, and he is "rescued" by Dallas Winston ("Dally"). Stopped by a policeman for speeding, Dally convinces him that he was trying to get Ponyboy to the hospital really fast, so the cop actually escorts him there.
Ponyboy is present for the deaths of both Johnny and later, Dallas. Ponyboy, having witnessed three deaths in a short period of time, including two friends, goes insane with grief and for a time believes himself responsible for their deaths. He also becomes colder and more self-assured, calmly threatening several socs with a busted glass Coke bottle in response to their threats.
He eventually regains his wits when he finds a letter from Johnny, but for some time afterwards becomes increasingly absent-minded. Presumably he makes a full recovery.
Ponyboy later makes a minor appearance in Hinton's novel That Was Then, This Is Now.
